ruth connell

HOLLYWOOD, CA — The first two books in Keith Rommel’s Thanatology series (Sunbury Press), The Cursed Manand The Lurking Man, have been adapted into feature films and have recently begun their festival runs. Rommel along with director/producer James L. Perry wrote the screenplay for The Cursed Man, and with executive producer Maritza Brikisak for The Lurking Man. Each film took top awards for their screenplay. Now the powerful stories and acting are turning heads. To date, the two films and the novels combined have garnished 60+ awards, the start of what could be truly spectacular. The film festivals continue throughout most of the year, bringing with them many opportunities. Having won ‘Best Book of the Year’, ‘Best Feature Screenplay’, ‘Best Ensemble’, ‘Best Narrative Feature Film(s)’ and wins in many other categories, the films are a direct reflection of the full length novels and are gaining much attention.

Rommel with Frank Krueger, Maritza Brikisak and Felix Martiz is getting ready to bring the third book in the series, The Sinful Man to the big screen. It is yet another powerhouse filled with emotion, psychological terror and reflections on your everyday decisions. Reviewers have called Rommel’s writing, “Horror for the curious mind” and “Thinking man’s fiction.” This is going to be the most ambitious rendition to date.

Beyond the big screen, Sunbury Press and Rommel are getting ready to release the fourth installment in the series. The Silent Womanis scheduled for a March 7th, 2017 release and is available for pre order now.

Sunbury Press: In September 2014, you came to Sunbury Press bookstore to celebrate the completion of the filming of The Cursed Man and Sunbury Press’ 10th anniversary. Can you tell us what that day was like?

Brahm Gallagher: It was an absolute honor to be a part of the 10th Anniversary as well as be able to support Keith at the book signing. Plus the chance to meet the man who wrote The Cursed Man was not an opportunity to be missed! I’m very thankful to Keith for writing a character that spoke to me and who, although was very troubled on the page, is at his heart someone who is trying to do good in the only way that he sees how at this point. It was also amazing to meet the fans who were fans already and hopefully some more that very soon will be.

SP: Alister, the lead character in The Cursed Man is a complex character. Can you tell readers how you prepared for such a complex role and managed to capture the essence of the character?

BG: I relied heavily on the book and in turn the script which was basically at its core a transcription of the written novel. I referred to the script countless times, over and over, and looked at hours of footage and interviews with incarcerated killers, both at the time of their arrests and subsequent interviews years later after spending time incarcerated; to find an essence of the isolation that Alister has imparted on himself based of his fear of the curse. What would that time of solitary do to a person? How would shutting out the world manifest itself in one’s being? Alister has chosen a path that only he can walk down till it is interrupted by the good Doctor. Those areas of mental cognizance were where most of my research went but I also wanted to know the feeling of being hungry for release from something so I lost twenty pounds in one month before the start of shooting by only eating baby food. Who would have known I’d be required to maintain that weight loss for nearly 4.5 months?!!? *chuckles*

SP: If you had to describe what genre The Cursed Man is and compare it to a more, well-known movie previously released movie or novel, what would that be?

BG: I believe it to be a psychological thriller. The monster affectation was added by our director but I always believed the demons to be in Alister’s mind. As an actor, I can only control the character and try to manipulate the world that I am thrust into, so for me, it was always about the anguish that Alister has lived through and continues to see through his own warped perspective. Looking at the story with that in mind, I can almost see parallels to the Stanford Experiment and to some extent Shutter Island – how the mind is the institution that holds Alister in check and is also his worst enemy.

SP: What was the biggest challenge you had bringing Alister to life?

BG: The production schedule was rough. An absolute hard experience to endure. Not just taking into account the sustained loss of weight but the mental toll, and trying to determine which reality Alister was in dependent on what we were shooting that day. It was also made more difficult by the very independent style in which the film was made. We would work flat out for a few days … running … then there would be a break in shooting, sometimes for an undetermined length of time, then we’d have to jump right back in and go full bore again. It went on and on. The struggle of holding onto Alister’s ever loosening grip on “reality” as well as determining what state he was in as timelines shift throughout the story was a real challenge.

SP: If there is a message you wanted to convey to the people reading this interview, what would that be?

BG: This film was a truly independent filmmaking endeavor based on a brilliant independently written book that hopefully will spark in the mind of the viewer/reader. There is a place for pieces such as this in our oversaturated, glam-style, pretty consumer society. Sometimes truths that are hidden aren’t also pretty or glamorous and mental trauma in whatever form it manifests is not to be taken lightly and we should be looking for ways to assist those suffering from it instead of ostracizing them for it.

SP: We know of something big on the horizon for you. Please tell the reading audience what you are up to and what you have coming in the near future.

BG: I’m not too sure how big it is at the moment but I have filmed a role for a certain show revolving around thrones with the very distinct hope of returning to that far off land again. I’ve also relocated from Los Angeles to the UK where I have had the great fortune to film a role with the BBC for an upcoming Sunday night drama series and also to work in Ireland, albeit briefly. I’m hoping to get back to other areas of Ireland again very soon.

SP: Would you recommend to people that they read the novel before or after seeing The Cursed Man Movie?

BG: I think that is a matter of personal taste. As I have no idea of what the finished film is going to be you may get a better understanding of the story from the book but I’d hope that Alister is both as alive to the audience onscreen as he was to me in the book.

SP: Without revealing any spoiler, what is your favorite part of The Cursed Man story or concept?

BG: The complete lack of knowing. Knowing what is real, what is not, what is real but only to one specific character at the time. The feeling of needing to know what the outcome will be because you don’t know where you are at the present. That’s a lot of fun in both a film and a book.

SP: If people wanted to follow what you’re doing, please let them know where they can keep tabs on you.

BG: Though I’m admittedly not the best at it I am on social media, but only one site. I don’t tweet, or instagram, snapchat, or use any other sites as I’m not sure I’d have the self-restraint not to say exactly what I’m thinking all the time if it was available to me. I believe mystery is still one of an actor’s greatest assets; knowing too much about a person can muddle the lines, eliminate the delineation of characters I play, and steal some of that mystery. Plus I like to keep people guessing, it’s my job.

About the Premiere:
World Premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie – Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Halloween Night October 31, 2016 – 7pm to 11pm – Party before and after. This may be the greatest movie premiere on Halloween Night in the History of the Alex Theatre. For more information about the venue, please see: http://www.alextheatre.org/

About the Book:
Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment.

But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is an award-winning author of ten novels and is an award-winning screenwriter. His writing has been called, “Horror for the curious mind.” His first two novels, The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man are at various stages of production to become motion pictures. 2016.

Sunbury Press: When you came into The Cursed Man movie, you’d already been in a very popular movie. Can you tell everyone what movie that is?Jim Tavare: My biggest movie role to date was Tom the Innkeeper in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban but maybe The Cursed Man will change all that! The Potter franchise has been very good to me despite being on screen for a mere 5 minutes. My kids went to all the after parties and met Snape and Dumbledore, I still sign at Harry Potter conventions all over the world and the royalties come in handy too!SP: You play the role of ‘Terry’ in The Cursed Man movie. Can you tell us a little about the character?JT: Terry is the janitor of the hospital. He fights hard to preserve the status quo of the institution he has worked in for many years but things change when the Cursed Man is admitted….SP: You have a very successful career outside of acting. Can you tell everyone what you do?JT: When I first left drama school (RADA) I found the idea of waiting around for the phone to ring a little soul destroying so I embarked on a long stand-up comedy career culminating in my own TV series on BBC and a finalist spot on Last Comic Standing in the US. I’ve since built fans stateside and am able to eke out a pretty good living because acting can be a fickle mistress. I have played in the front of HM the Queen on several occasions and even briefly acquired a reputation as Prince Charles’ favourite comic.SP: Producer Jim Perry just announced the release date as being October 31st … Halloween night, 2016 at the Alex Theater in Glendale, CA. Can we expect to see you there and what do you think of the venue?JT: I will most certainly be there because I live right around the corner! I’m excited because I have two films for release on Halloween. SP: I know people are curious how comedians come up with material. How do you develop material to present to audiences?JT: A lot of my material comes from my everyday experiences. I found when I moved to the US I found an entirely new angle of being the Englishman abroad and this led to a considerable amount of material. I use music in my act to punctuate my comedy. Think I’m the only comic in the world who does stand-up with an upright bass.SP: Can you tell us what it was like to be on the set of Harry Potter, how well the costume fit and whether or not you got to keep it?

JT: My costume was fun to wear and I was in make-up about 3 hours in make each day. When I first joined the cast Alfonso Cuaron told me his favourite movie was the The Young Frankenstein. I said “Hey – mine too!” He said “Then just do Igor!”That is where my huge hump came from. I got to keep one or two of my costume items form the set – namely my prosthetic ears but they disintegrated after about 3 months. I also got to keep the silver garters that held my shirt sleeves up although I think my kids have them now. SP: What is it like behind the scenes when filming a feature?

JT: Waiting, waiting and more waiting…Stand-up comedy is way more solitary than acting but in a movie it’s fun being part of a team and a piece of the jigsaw that completes the story. I really like to collaborate with actors, writers and directors. Acting in film is very technical too and you never stop learning from other people.SP: Did you find anything ‘special’ about the character of Terry you played in The Cursed Man movie?JT: I always try to find some common ground between me and the character I’m playing. I try and make it interesting, however small the role. Acting is about making interesting choices.SP: Please tell everyone what you are up to and where they can find out more about you and follow your career.JT: I have a number of movies in production right now including a nice role in I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu and I’m currently working with Grammy Award winning singer Shelby Lynne on her movie The Magnificent Room. I’m always touring my comedy around the world. New tour dates can be found at jimtavare.org or there’s always Twitter….

About the Premiere:
World Premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie – Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Halloween Night October 31, 2016 – 7pm to 11pm – Party before and after. This may be the greatest movie premiere on Halloween Night in the History of the Alex Theatre. For more information about the venue, please see: http://www.alextheatre.org/

About the Book:
Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment.

But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is an award-winning author of ten novels and is an award-winning screenwriter. His writing has been called, “Horror for the curious mind.” His first two novels, The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man are at various stages of production to become motion pictures. 2016.

Sunbury Press: Soon after you completed the filming of The Cursed Man, you had something major happen to you and your career. Can you please tell everyone what that is?

Ruth Connell: Um well…I landed the role of “Rowena” in Supernatural which has completely changed my life and for the better!

SP: You play the role of Bonnie in The Cursed Man movie. Can you tell people who Bonnie is and what her role is in the movie?

RC: I liked the name Bonnie when I got cast as it sounds a bit Scottish already. I thought she was an interesting person to play in that she is a receptionist at the lets say the ‘dodgy’ Hospital and I could see there was scope to color her in creatively. These ‘smaller’ characters can have nuggets of joy within them – there is a freedom to test ideas when you don’t have as much plot responsibility.

SP: In the filming of either Supernatural or The Cursed Man, have you had anything on set that really stands out in your mind?

RC: I really liked James the Director of The Cursed Man and remember his wife catering for all of us when we were shooting in his house – that was really touching. That and hanging out a bit with Jim Tavare and my new wee pal Ian Watson. The whole cast and crew were really open and friendly which is to be applauded and wished for on every set – Supernatural is the same and it makes all the difference in the world.

SP: If you had to place The Cursed Man into a specific genre, what would that be?

RC: I think it’s a law unto itself!

SP: What is it like to see yourself on television and on the big screen? Do you find yourself critical of your performance?

RC: Yup! Sometimes it’s useful to see where the work needs to go further. Mostly it’s hard not to hate on your own face blown up large and detailed!

SP: Do you have any big surprises coming up in the near future that you can mention to your fans?

RC: Well I already came back to life on Supernatural – that was a tricky spoiler to keep to myself for so long in front of so many people especially at the conventions with the fans.

SP: What do you find appealing about The Cursed Man? If anything, why do you think readers should give it a read before the movie comes out?

RC: I really enjoyed reading the book – if you like Supernatural and some of the themes of death and the devil, there is plenty for you in The Cursed Man.

SP: If you have any closing comments, the floor is yours.

RC: Ah – its been a pleasure to meet and work with the lovely people involved in The Cursed Man. Well done to Jim for getting it made and to Keith for writing it in the first place!

About the Premiere:
World Premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie – Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Halloween Night October 31, 2016 – 7pm to 11pm – Party before and after. This may be the greatest movie premiere on Halloween Night in the History of the Alex Theatre. For more information about the venue, please see: http://www.alextheatre.org/

About the Book:
Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment.

But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is an award-winning author of ten novels and is an award-winning screenwriter. His writing has been called, “Horror for the curious mind.” His first two novels, The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man are at various stages of production to become motion pictures. 2016.

GLENDALE, Calif. — Sunbury Press has released a special edition of The Cursed Man novel honoring the upcoming premiere of the movie, to be held at the landmark Alex Theatre in Glendale, California.

About the Book:
Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment.

But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is an award-winning author of ten novels and is an award-winning screenwriter. His writing has been called, “Horror for the curious mind.” His first two novels, The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man are at various stages of production to become motion pictures. 2016.

About The Cursed Man Movie:Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

About the Premiere:
World Premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie – Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Halloween Night October 31, 2016 – 7pm to 11pm – Party before and after. This may be the greatest movie premiere on Halloween Night in the History of the Alex Theatre. For more information about the venue, please see: http://www.alextheatre.org/

While new to American audiences, Ruth Connell is about to cast a spell a whole new fan base as she makes her big debut on SUPERNATURAL this season. Briefly introduced in the episode “Soul Survivor,” Ruth returns in the upcoming November 25th episode entitled, “Girls, Girls, Girls.” So look for her to stir up some trouble for the Winchester boys while turning few heads and perhaps turn up the heat in more ways than one.

In an exclusive interview, Ruth talked about how much fun it is working on the long-running adventure series that explores the dark side of Heaven and Hell.

What can you share about your particularly bewitching character on SUPERNATURAL?RUTH: I play Rowena and I can definitely tell you that she is a witch, and I don’t know what else I can say. There is such a sense of mystery about the show and I am under such strong warnings about spoilers! I will say that Tuesday’s episode has a great surprise in it and you may be seeing more of me after that. So that is about as much as I can say.

So what drew you to the role? What interested you in it?RUTH: My friend actually emailed me the breakdown of the character and it had everything I was looking for in a role. It just sounded incredible. Rowena is feisty and she’s definitely nobody’s doormat. She is a woman who knows what she wants. I wish I had some her balls!

For you, what has been so far the most fun working on the show?RUTH: (Laughs) Honestly, everything about this job has just been a dream — from the casting process to appearing in scenes and that includes the gentleman that picks you up at the airport in Vancouver to the guy in craft services, Mike Campbell who is also of Scottish descent. Everything about the job has just been so wonderful. People talk about the SPN family and it really does feel like I’ve landed in something just wonderful. It’s my first American TV show and I am completely aware of how lucky I am to have landed in the SPN family. It is everything people would think it would be. It’s just wonderful.

SUPERNATURAL is also known to be a boys’ club and they like to have a little fun and they pull pranks on each other. Are they pulling you into the prank world yet?RUTH: I think they have been quite gentle with me so far. I have seen Jared, Jensen, Mark and Misha on set and they just bring such amazing energy. It is incredible to think they all have been doing [the show]and how fresh they are and how much fun energy they do bring. They bring such a sense of enjoyment and naughtiness, I think. (Laughs) And they’ve got a twinkle in their eye. It’s great fun.

What was it like working on your first episode of the show?RUTH: For my first episode, Jensen directed it and he is just the loveliest man. He is so kind and so patient. It was an amazing first experience working on SUPERNATURAL and it was great to be directed by him. I had been watching as many episodes of SUPERNATURAL that I possibly could, and then when I got there, he is so boyish and so young in real life. I was like, “Oh my goodness! How am I supposed to do this show with him?!” He is so youthful and looks so young!

They all clearly have so much fun on the show and that probably helps keep their youthfulness alive in them a bit.RUTH: Yeah. They are all great friends in real life. Though I have to say, it comes from higher up than that. Everyone I’ve met on the show has a real sense of enjoyment. I was also lucky enough to be invited to the 200th episode party that they had in Vancouver and that was amazing. I ended up dancing barefoot with Felicia Day. I keep pinching myself. I am so lucky to be in the show and to have the warm reception that I had from everyone. It is amazing.

Working on a show like SUPERNATURAL, they have really outrageous characters and stories. Does that kind of throw you for a loop or do you just kind of roll with it?RUTH: The second script I got, I was working with Bob Singer on set and I was like, “I can’t believe what I’ve got to say in the next episode!” I felt like I had a good idea of what was the character, then they surprised me. I have something quite outrageous to say in the episode coming up. I was thrilled. I’ve done a lot of theater and the more extreme the character, the better. That’s where I’m most comfortable. And I was shocked. I can’t wait to see how the fans react to a couple of things that are said and done by my character.

Sounds like it is a dream come true for you to play a character that is so completely different than who you are.RUTH: Yeah, definitely. Last year, I did a play in L.A. with Noah Wyle and Daniel Henning. I ended up playing Mrs. Darling and Captain Hook. Captain Hook is the most outrageous character that there is and to be a woman playing that, it was another amazing experience. I think playing that kind of role definitely prepared me for Rowena and the flavor and essence of SUPERNATURAL. It is larger than life and epic and fun all at the same time.

Gosh, do you ever get worried when you get cast in this characters, “What do they see in me that is not really there?”RUTH: (Laughs) Yes! What are they seeing? Is it a diabolicalness? But I definitely think I have caches of fun that I bring and I think it is interesting to go to really dark places. So I think that suits SUPERNATURAL really well. There is plenty of serious stuff, but they always keep their tongue in their cheek. That really appeals to me. Even the style of the show, I thought to myself, “This is so up my alley.”

So you hope to be playing Rowena for some time to come. Sounds like a fun role for you.RUTH: I would happily go on and on and on if they would have me. As an actor, I look to people like Tommy Flanagan — who is another Scottish actor — and that’s kind of why I got into the business and what I dream to do in that style of movie and roles — to do something completely opposite, a real contrast.

If you could sit down with Rowena, what would you like to tell her? What kind of advice would you give her?RUTH: You know what? I think she’s pretty sorted. I wish I had some of her confidence and her balls. There is a saying in Scotland, “keep the heid.” It’s like, “keep your head screwed on.” That might be my one piece of advice to Rowena.

How would you generally describe what is coming up for Rowena on the show?RUTH: I would say quite a bit of surprise. It was a surprise to me. There’s definitely scope for Rowena to impact more than one of the main characters. Her actions definitely have a long range effect.

Is it even possible to think that she may have a romantic interest, or is that the farthest thing from her mind?RUTH: (Laughs) I’ve read some of the fan stuff. The fans are amazingly perceptive, like the clips for the episode where I was introduced — all the stuff about the entity inside me and there was an orange rose in the vase — and I was like, “Wow!” I had been so busy concentrating on not knocking my glass of whiskey over. So they noticed more than I did and I was on the set! So, you know, Rowena is a woman. She could be open. So she might be open to some male admiration.

Is SUPERNATURAL the only thing you are working on at the moment or is there something else you’re working on?RUTH: I just shot a DOGMA-style movie a couple of weeks ago, called “Hara-Kiri” with a friend of mine, Henry Alberto, who was in a play I did last year. That is opposite in the spectrum. No make-up, no lighting. It’s got a serious subject matter. It’s interesting because I discovered a bottle of vodka on set and you can use what the character would use and by the forth take the vodka was influencing my acting. So that was a learning curve. (Laughs) And I did another film at the beginning of the year called “The Cursed Man,” from an occult novel (by Keith Rommel) and that is in post right now. I also do quite a bit of voice-over work as well. I can voice-match and I’m not allowed to say what individual characters I do, but there’s one character that is so full of life and she’s great fun to do. That was my first really cool job in America. It’s fun to be in America and be able to use my own voice, which is an unexpected treat. It is so great that it happening more and more.

Sounds like you’ve had a busy year and hopefully we will see more of you this next year too.RUTH: Yeah, I’ve been working hard for a long time in the business and I’ve nearly been there to break-out a few times. Like I was cast as a series regular in London before I came here and then the show didn’t go. So I came here and I knew one person in L.A. and I’ve kind of done it from scratch. So it hasn’t been too fast. It’s been a couple years. But I’ve been working hard. I’ve actually been on stage since I was 4 years old. So now everything seems to be rolling out and I’m so ready for it — and so grateful for it and relishing it because I know the other side of it. I know what is is like to be nearly there and it is not quite happening. So to be in a show like SUPERNATURAL, with such an amazing following around the world, it is everything I could have hoped for. I’m also going to my first SUPERNATURAL convention and so I’m going to meet the fans face-to-face next year. I’m excited about that. It will be fun.

To see just who Rowena may be tempting and torturing this week, be sure to tune for an all new episode of SUPERNATURAL on Tuesday, November 25th at 9:00 p.m. on the CW.